Phrase bank IndexBasicsArrangements

Writing stylesCommercialComplaints and apologiesPersonal

Reports

P rase a

74767778818Z

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73

Basics

Pr('vious contact

Reason for writing

Giving information

Altachments

Asking for infonnation

Requests

Promising action

Offering help

Final comments

ClO$('

Formal/Neutral

Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms DuplIisDearMary

Thank you for your email of ..Further to your last email, ..I apologise for not getting in

contact with you before now.

I am writing in connection wIth.

I am writing with regard to ,.In reply to your email, here 3Te ..

Your name was given to me by ..We would like [Q point out that ..

I'm wr1l1ng to let you know thatWc flT\' able to call1inn thatI am delighted to tell you thatWe regret to inform you that ..

Ple,lse find attached my rcportI'm scnJmgyOlI asapdftlle

Could you give me some information about ..I would like to know ..I'm interested in receiving/finding out ...

I'd be grateful if you could ..I wonder if you could ..Do you think I could have ... 1Thank you in advance for your help in this matter.

I willI'll investigatethemaner.I WIll contact you agam shortly

Would you like me to ... 1If you wish, I would be happy to ..Let me know whether you would like me to ..

Thank you for your helpDo not hesitate to contact w, agam If you

reqUlr(' (lily further mformatlon.Please feel tree la contact me If you have

any questions. My dire<:t line is ..

I am looking forward to ( ... -l11g)GIve my regards to

BeSt wishesRegards

Informal

HifHelloMaryMary, H' (or 110 name at aU)

Thanks for your emaiL

Reyouremail, .Sorry I haven't written for ages,

but I've been really busy.

JUST a shore nore about.l'm wmmg aboutHere's the .. you wantedI got your name from

Please note that

JUSt a nmetosay ..We can confinn that ..Good news l

Unforwnately,

I've attachedHere IS the vou wanted.

Can you tell me a little more about ..I'd like to know ..Please send me ...

Please could you ..Could you 1Can I have !I'd appreciate your help on this.

I'llI'll look IOto ItI'll get back to you soon

Do you want me to ... 1Shall 1 ... 1Let me know if you'd like me to ..

Thanks agam forLet me knO\~ It you need anythmg

elseJust gIVe me a call If you have

any questions. My number is ..

LooklOg forward to (+ -mg)BeSt wishes to

Speak to/Scc vou soon.Bve (for nowl/AI1 the beSt

1C7'"4--------------------------Phrasebank

Negotiating a project

Asking for infonnarion \Vhar are your usual charges (fees/rates) for I

Can you give me some more information about ... 1

Requests Do you think you could ... 1Would you be able to ... ?

Emphasising a main point My main concern at this stage is ...The main thing for me is ..

Asking for a suggestion How do you think we should deal with this?What do you think is the best way forward?

Making a suggestion Why don't you ... 1What about if we ... ?

Negotiating; being firm I understand what you're s3ying about " (but H')I can see what you're saying, but ..

Negotiating: being flexible We would be prepared to .. (if ... )lamwillingm ... (if ... )

Negotiating: agreeing

Next steps

Closing

Okay, ['m happy with that for now.That's fine.

I'll be in touch again soon with more derailsLet's talk next week and see how things are going.

I look forward to working with you.I'm sorry that we couldn't use your services this time, but I hope there will be another

opportunlty.

Checking understanding

Technical problems Did you get my last message sent on ... ?Sorry, you forgot to attach rhe file. Can you send it again?I got your email. but I can't open the attachment.Did you mean to send this? I don't want to open it in case it's got a ViruS

Asking for clarification ['m nocsure what you mean by ... 1Could you clarify?Which ... do you mean?I don't understand this point. Can you explain in a little more detail?Are you sure about that?

Giving clarification Sorry, what I meant was .'" not ..I thought ... , but I may be wrong.I'll check and get back to you.The correct information is given below. Please amend your records accordingly.Sorry, forget my last email. You're right.

Close I hope this clarifies the situation.Get back to me if there's anything else.

Phrase bank 75

ArrangementsMeetings

Formal/Neurral

Reason for writing I'm writing to arrange a time for our meeting.Wh"l time would be conveniem (or you!

Suggesting lime/place Could we meet on (day) in (the morning etc.)at (time)?

Saying when you are/ 1would be "ble to attend the meeting onafC not free Thursday mornmg.

I'm Oll[ of the office until2prnAny time after that would be fine.I'm afraid I can't manage next Monday.

Confirming I'd like re confirm ,_That's fine. I will calVemail you tomorrow

to confirm the details.

lnfonnal

JUSt a quick note to arrange a time(Q meet. When would suit you!

How about (day) fI[ (time)/Are you free sometime next week!

I'm nee Thursday am.

I won't be around umil after lunch.Any time after that is okay.Sorry, can't make it next Monday.

Thursday is good for me.

That should be okay. I'll get backto you i( there's a problem.

Changing arrangements This is to let you know that I will not be able Rc our meeting next week, I'mto attend the meeting next Thursday. afraid I can't make Thursday.

I wonder i(we could move it to ... ! How about ... instead!

_I,-,-po_Iog-=-'",_fo_,_,n_,_i"_,_on_"_"_i,_",_,_,,_u,_,d_. Sorry (or the inconvenience.

Closf" I look (orward to meeting you in Brussels.Let me know i( you need to change

the amangements.

Invitations

Sce you in Brussels.Give me a call if anything changes.

Inviting

Prepare

Accepting

Refusing

76

We would be very pleased i( you could come to ..

I would like to invite you to ... I attend our ..Please let me know i( you will be able to attend.

Be(ore the meeting it would be useful i(

you could prepare ...It would be helpful i( you could bring ..

Thank you (or your kind invitation.The date you suggest is fine.I would be delighted to attend the

meeting. I am sure it will be vcry useful.

Thank you (or your kind invitation.Unfortunately, I have another appointment

on mat day. Please accept my apologies.I hope we will have the opportunity to meet

on another occasion in the near future. I amsure that the meeting will be a great success.

I'm writing to 111Vl((' yOll t.O

Would you likf' to corn,' to I

Please let me know I( you can make It

Please prepare ... before the meeting.

Please bring [0 the m~ting ..

Thanks a lot (or the invitation.The date's fine (or me.I'd love to come to the meeting. It

sounds like a great idea.

Thanks a lot (or your kind invitation.Unfortunately, I have something else

in my schedule on that day.I hope we can meet up soon. Good

luck with the meeting!

Phrase bank

Writing styles

FormaVInformal

FormaVNeutral Informal

Example phrases

Latin / Anglosaxonorigin

Direct/lndirect

Thank yOu for your email received 12 Feb.With regardjrefcrence ro ...I would be grateful if you could ..Weregrctwadviscyouchar ..Please accept our apologies for ..I was wondering if you could.We note that yOll have not ..We would likc to remind you that ..h IS necessary for me to ..

Itispossibletharlwill ..Would you like me to ... ?However, ... Iln addition, ... I Therefore, ..If you requIre any further information, please

do not hesimte to contact me.t look forward to meeting you next week.

assistance/due to/enquire/informlinfonnationobtain/occupation/possess/provide/repairrequest/requirements/verify

Direct

Thanks for the emai!.Re ..Please could you ..I'm sony to tell you that ..I'm sorry forCould you I

You haven'tDon't forget tharI need toImlghr.Shall [ J

But. I Also, ISo.If you'd like more details, let me know

Sec VOU next wee\..

help/be<:auseof/ask/tell/factsgel/ioblhave/give/fixask for/needs/check (prove)

Indirect: polite/diplomatic

Requests Can you ... !Please could you ..

Asking for permission Can I !Could 1 1

Offering help Can [ 1Shall 1 1

Making a suggestion What about ... (+ -iog)?

Shall we ... r

Softening a strong There is a problem.comment

That will be very expensive.

We can't do that.That gives us very little time.It will be better to ask Heidi.I disagree.

Phrase an

Could you ... 1I was wondering if vou could

Is i[all right if[ .'I wonder if I could ... !

Would you like me to ... 1Do you need any help with ... !

Why don'r we ... !Perhaps we should ... 1

I'm afraid there is a small problem.It seems there is a slight problem.That might be quite expensive.Won't that be a bit expensive1I'm not sure we can do thatActually, that doesn't give us much time.Wouldn't it be better to ask Heidi!I can see what you're saying, but ..Don't you think that ... rTo be honest, I think it might be better to ..

77

Commercial

Request for information (customer)

Saying how you got the contact We met last Thursday on your stand at the MUnich Trade F<llT

I am emailing you off your websitc, which I found through Google.

Giving reason for writing We are a manufacturer/supplier/provider of .... We afC interested in ..We are a Turkish company exporting to the EU, and we need ..

General requests We would be grateful for some information about ..Please send us information about your product range and pnce~.

Specific requests In particular, we would like la know,.Please send full details of your prices. discounts. terms of payment and delivery timesCould you also say whether there is any minimum order.

Close An early reply would be gready appreciated.I look forward to an early reply, and am sure that there is a market for yooT products

here in Hungary.

Giving information (supplier)

Thanks Thank you for your email of 4 June inquiring about ..

Giving factual infonnation We can quote you a price of ... CIF/FOB Istanbul.We can deliver by ... (d3te) / within ... (period of time)The goods will be shipped 3 days !Tom receipt of a firm order.We can offer a discount of ... on orders over ..We require payment by bank transfer/lener of credit.Our normal procedure is to ..Our normal terms for first-time customers are ..We can supply the items you require directly from stock.

Saying what you are atlaChing I am attaching a document that gives full derails of ..I am attaching our current catal~ and price list as a pdf file.

Highlighting one or two You will see that ..key points You will note that our line of ... is on special offer.

Answering specific questions You will also nOle that .... Our experience in this field includesWe dispatch the goods within 24 hours of a firm order, and for first-time cusromel1i

our minimum order is £1,000.I am afraid that model is no longer available. However, ..

Close We feel sure that .... May I suggest that I call you at your convemence to diSCUSSthe matter further?

If you need any further information, please do not hesitate to contact mc. My directline is ..

Following up a call (supplier)

Open Thank you for taking the time on the telephone this morning to explain ..

Summarising key points [ understand that you are looking for ,.. and [ am confident that we can nnd a goodsolution for your needs.

Giving additional information [ have auached some informatiOn about our company, including ..[ have attached a list of some of our clients, which you will see include ,".

Saying you will call back As agreed, I'll give you a call during che last week of September.[ have made a note to call you again after you've had a chance to ..

Perhaps then it would be a good idea to meet to discuss ,..

Close [n the meantime, if you would like to discuss any other points. please don't hesitateco give me a call on my direct line ..

Asking for better terms (customer)

0","

Discussing terms

Close

Thank you for sending, ... We are interested in ., However, there are onc 01 twO

things we would like to clarify before going ahead.

Do you give any discount on an order of this size?Would you be prepared to ler us have the goods on credit?We need these items by .. , at the latest.

If we can reach an agreement on these manees WE' arE' sure that we can do morebusines.s with you in the future.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Replying and agreeing terms (supplier)

Thank you for your email of .. inquiring about a possible order for ...

Saying yes

Looking for a compromise

Final details

Close

Phrase bank

In relation to ... , we would be happy to let you have .I have spoken to my line manager, and we are able to ... on this occasion.

With regard to ... , unfortunately we are not able to . However. I am sure we canfind an acceptable compromise.

We are prepared toaccept ...

We would be grateful if you could supply bank references.Please return the attached form asap so that your order can be processed without any

delay.Please note that we have recently improved the functionality of our website, and It

is now possible to place an order on-line. Altemativel\', you can print out theattached order form and return it to us by mad

I have arranged for a member of our customer services team to give you a call laterin the week. They will be able to deal with any further points.

We hope you find our quotation satisfactory and look forward to receiving yourorder. We assure you that it will have our prompt anentlon.

If you need any further mtormanon, do nor hem:ue to contact us

79

Making an order (customer)

Op<n

Close

Thank you (or your recent email, and we accept your quoranon Our completedorder (ann is a[[ach~, and we give full bank details below

Please acknowledge receipT of this order.

Confirming an order (supplier)

Your order has been received.We can confinn that your goods have been shipped.You can track shipping details on our websire.Due to exceptional demand these items are temporarily OUt of stock. We hope to be

able to ship your order within .. , days and will keep you fully informed Weapologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Close We are confident that the goods will mttr your exptttations. Should there be anyquestions, please do not hesitate to contact mc, drhcr by ema;1 or phone.

Asking for payment (supplier)

First reminder - open

First reminder - action

Second/fhird reminder ­open

Second/Third reminder ­action

Final demand - open

Final demand - action

80

We are writing concerning a lXlymentof€12,f:IXJ for invoice number KJ678 which isnQW overdue. A copy of the invoice is attached.

According to our records, the sum of£4,500 is still outstanding on your account.

Please send a bank transfer to senle the account, or an explanation of why thebalance is still outstanding. If you have already dealt with this maner, pleasedisregard this email

We would appredute your cooperation in resolving this matter as soon as possible.

On (date) I wrote to you regarding your company's unpaid account, amounting to£4,500. May we please remind you that this amount is still outstanding.

I wish [Q draw your attention to my previous emails of (dates) about the overduepayment on your account. We are very concerned that the matter has not yetreceived your attention.

We need a bank transfer in full settlement without further delay.Clearly, this situation cannot be allowed to continue, and we must ask you to take

immediate action to settle your account.If you have any queries on this maner. please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank

you (or your cooperation.

Following my emails of (dates) I must inform you that we have stlll not receIvedpayment for the outslanding sum of€4's00.

I wrote to you on (dates) regarding the balance of€12,6OJ0n your account I ilttachcopies of bmh emails.This sum is now twO months overdue. We are veryconcerned that the matter has nOt yet received your attention

Unless we receive payment within seven days, we shall have no alternative but tolake legal action to recover the money.

In the meantime, your existing credit facilities have been suspended

P rase ban

Complaints and apologiesComplaining (customer)

O",n

Complaint

Request for action

Close

Apologising (supplier)

O",n

Apologising

Denying responsibiJity

Promising action

Compensation

Close

Iamwfllmg,

... 10 connection with my order FS690 which arrived this morning.. to complain about the quality of a product I bought (rom your website.

.. to complain about the poor service we received from your company.

.. to draw your auemion to the negative attirude of some people in your customer services

section.

Our order dated 16 September clearly stated that we wanted 1,OCO items, however you ..The goods we(e faulty/damaged/in poor condition.There seems to be an error in the invoice/a misunderstandmg.The equipment I ordered has still not been delivered, despite my phone call to yOu last week to

say that it is needed urgently.The product I received was well below the standard I expected.To make matters worse, when I called your company your staff ..

Please replace the faulty goods as soon as possible.We must insist on an immediate replacement/full refund.Unless I receive the goods by the end of this week, 1will have no choice but to cancel my order.

I hop<' rhat you WIll deal wnh thIS matter prompdy as 11 IS causmg me conslclcrablf'inconvenience.

I am writing in relation to your recent complaint.

1 was very concerned to learn about ... Please accept my sincere apologies.I would like to apologise for the inconvenience you have sufferro..

We appreciate that mis has caused you considerable inconvenience, but we cannO[ accept anyresponsibility in this matter.

Can you leave it with me! I'll look into me matter and get back to you tomorrow.I have looked into the matter and ..I have spoken to the staff involved, and ..We will send replacement items/give you a refund immediately.I can assure you that this will not happen again.We're having a temporary problem with .... We're doing everything we can to sort it out.

To compensate for the inconvenience, we would like to offer you ..

Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention. Please accept my assurance that it will nothappen again.

Once again, I hope you will accept my apologies for the inconvenience caused.I very much hope you will continue to use our services m the future.If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact me on my direct line ..

Phrasebankc--------------------------.""

PersonalBeing friendly

You heard something, hut afC not sureSomething is [fUe, bUl surprisingSomething is obvious or already knownGood/bad fortuneSaying what you really thinkGoing back to a topicChanging the topicSummarising with the most important point

Asking for advice

FormaVNeuual

ltscerns That Apparently,Aaually, ... Infact....ObVIously, ." Of course, ."Unfortunately,.. Luckily, ...To be honest, . Frankly, .Well, ."' So,... Anyway,.Anyway,.. So,. By the way...Anyway, ... Basically, ...

Informal

OP<"

Asking for advice

Close

Giving advice

I'd like your advice about a problem I have.

I was wondering if you had any ideas about ... !What would you advise me to do!

Please write back when you have the timeand let me know what you think.

Formal/Neutral

I'vegotabitofaproblem.

Do you have any ideas about "."?What should I do!

Please email me when you get thechance.

Informal

Open

Giving advice

Result

I was sorry to hear about your current difficulties. I'm sorry you're having such a hardtime at the moment.

I think it might be a good idea to .. I think you should ..Have you thought of ... (+ -ing) 1 What about ... (+ -ing)!

This would mean that ." That way, ...

Options

Close

Suggestions

I thmk this option would be preferable(+ -ing)

I hope I have been of some help.

I think it's better than (+ -mg)

I hope I've helped a bIt

Making a suggestion I think we should!! suggest that we! Let'S go to ..

Shall we!Perhaps we could/Why don't we go [Q .•. 1I suggest/How about going [Q •.. ?

Accepting It's a great idea!I think your idea would work really well.!l might be worth trying.

82 Phrase bank

Rejecting I'm not so sure about your Idea.It sounds like a good idea, but I don't think it would work In practice.It sounds like a good idea, but I can see one or two problems.

Special situations

Thanks

Good luck

Congratulations

Best wishes

Bad news

Job application

Greeting (fonnat)

Reason for writing

Your backgroundand experience

Just a quick nQ{e to say many thanks for ..I really appreciate everything mat you have done.

Good luck with ..I woukllike to take this opportunity to wish }OOU every success In the future.

Many congratulations on your promotion/new job.I was delighted to hear me news abour ..Well done!

Pleaseglvemybestwishes/regardsto ..

I was 50 sony to hear about ..I was really 50ITY to hear you're not "''ell.... Hope you feel beuer soon.If there's anythmg I am do to help, let me know.

W.lh reference to your advenisement on the ... websitt, I am interested In applying for thepost of ..

I am 26 years old and am currently studying for a degree In .• University.For the last twO montlulyears I have been worlcing as a ... at ..

The job itself I am interested m mill job because ..I feel that I would be well-suited for this job as I enJoy/have a lot of experience in ..

Refering to your CV I have attached my CV as a Word document. You will nouce lhat I .. as well as .... You Will

al50nOtice that ..

Final comments I would be grateful if you would consider my application.You willscc from my CV thar [WO people can be contacted as references, one IS .•. and the

other IS from ..I am available for intervi~ in .. .{by phone any weekday afternoon, and you can email me or

telephone me on the number below.

Close I look forward to hearing from you soon.Yours faithfully

Reports

Report structure

Introduction I Background As requested at the Board meeting at 18 April, here is my report.The report will discuss/consider/describefanalyse/review .The report is based on ..I have divided the report into three sections.

Findings The findings/figures/resulrs/investigations show that ..It appears that .... This has led to a situation whereThe graph/table shows that ...

Signposts As can be seen in table lIseerian 2/figure 3, _,As mentioned above, .. ./... , see below... and I will discuss this in more detail below/in section 3.2.

Conclusion I Recommendations I (would like to) suggest/recommend that .. ,My specific recommendations are as (ollows.

Closing comments Please have a look at the report and let me have your comments.Please feel free to contact me if you have any questiom

Linking words

SequenceTalking generallyContrastAdding another pointExamplesAlternativesReal (surprising) situationSomething is obviousMost important pointRephrasingResult/consequenceNew topic

Careful. balanced style

Firstly,... Secondly,.. Finally, ..In general, . Usually,.. On the whole, .HOlVever,.. Nevertheless,.. On the other hand,In addition, .. Moreover,.. On another point, .For example, For instance, . e.gEither ... or .. Alternatively,. Instead of ..In fact.. Actually,... As a matter of fact, ...Clearly, ... Obviously,.. Of course, .Especially,... Above all,... In particular, ...In other words, . That is to say, .. l.e.As a result, .. Therefore,. For this reason, .In relation to.. Regarding.. With reference to ..

On the whole ... , bur

Usuallyrrypically/Often ..

Giving both sides of an argument In general ... , however ..

-----------------Making a statement less general Many/Some

-----------------Making a statement less certain It is possible/probable that .. It seems/appears that .. ... tends to be

Making a comparison less strong subsmmially/coll5iderably/much (+ comparative adjective)stgrol11:1lfrrlV1r<lmwtrt+ W'"p""''' ad,,,,,,,,,,,,,,)--------­marginally/slightly (+ comparative adJectlve)

Concluding On balance, ..Taking all the above points into consideration, ..

84 Phrase bank